A Bit About "Murders of the Prophecy"

This is my second novel but not the last. I’ve been working with Artemis Publishing with this book and it has been fun and a great learning experience. In case anyone is interested, I’ve detailed some information in this blog about the book and idea for a little background. 

The book is available through online retailers and Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1733994440/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

What is the novel Murders of the Prophecy about?

Marshall Withers became a renowned detective after capturing a psychic who had been killing certain clients to show his accuracy when predicting their deaths. Not soon after, Marshall’s partner in the police force is killed by a mobster hitman. Marshall teams up with Salman to perform one last murder and kill the hitman but after the deed, Marshall takes back his word to Salman. Being a true psychic, Salman knew Michael would and places a curse not on Marshall, but his family. After Marshall’s death following cancer, his son, Michael, finds a camera but when opening the camera, he finds a note written by his dad – a note warning him of future carnage. Michael begins using the camera which in itself, forces the film to recreate horror and bring up the curse of Salman. Through many untimely deaths and much violence, the truth is revealed but it’s too late. The ending is near but the truth reveals a dark past for the family’s new beginning.

Why write about a haunted camera?

Since a young kid, I’ve collected antiques. When younger, I was given an old 1920’s camera and a few years back I had it on display on a bookshelf in my one-bedroom apartment. At night or sometimes out of the corner of my eye, I would see the camera lens pointing at me. Of course, that’s how it sat on the shelf so it wasn’t like it was moved or anything but, I wondered once, what if the camera was haunted? I thought, what is the camera’s history? I imagined that maybe the camera was used to photograph old mafia that were killed and the camera was used at the crime scenes by an investigator. Then, maybe the souls of the mafia collected within the camera and as each day progressed, they reached out to me from the camera until finally getting me. Of course, it wasn’t long before the camera got moved to a different spot…a box in the closet, but I’ve always remembered that and created this story from that idea. I mean, as my first blog stated, cameras can freeze time for a slight second but what if the time was supposed to have been forgotten.

What’s the hardest part of writing?

The marketing… As any published author will tell you, the easiest part of writing a book is the writing. The second hardest part is editing, and editing, and editing until you’re sick of the book. But, the hardest aspect of all is the marketing. How do you get your writing and book noticed? There is so much social media and getting your book noticed is the hardest part but you learn more as every day progresses. I have multiple books being written now but I have to continue the marketing of my past books in order to get them noticed. Many people can push out books but selling is part of the process and takes many hours and dedication to be successful as I hope to someday be.

The Jerome Grand Hotel – A Ghostly Tale

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, some places you go can be quite eerie. The popular television shows such as Ghost Hunters, amongst others, brought curiosity into those who viewed the television shows. Whether fake or not, that’s beyond the point, what is true is some people believe and some do not. I used to watch Ghost Hunters for the architectural history of the buildings they went into and to see inside the buildings. Some of the places they went to were quite interesting and could be haunted, if there really is such a thing. Sometimes people say they see ghosts, figures, or even apparitions, but often-times, just a unique experience can create a ghostly tale – such as mine at the Jerome Grand Hotel.

Jerome, Arizona is a former mining town that once had a peak population of nearly 5,000 residents in 1930 (some even say 15,000) but today has less than 500. Much of the town’s original architecture remains today such as many buildings down main street as well as the Jerome Grand (Hotel). The Jerome Grand was the town’s fourth and final hospital. As the population continued to increase, the need for a larger and more modern hotel was needed amongst the citizens and workers around the mines, mills, and town for those who had injuries, came down with black lung due to the smelters polluting the air around town, as well as tuberculosis. The hospital, named the United Verde Hospital, was built in 1926 and in 1930 was labeled the most modern hospital in Arizona, if not the entire Western states. The hospital closed in 1950 and was watched over by a caretaker. The last caretaker committed suicide in the building in the 1980s and the former hospital was boarded up. The building was purchased in 1994 and renovated to become the Jerome Grand.

The first self-service elevator in Arizona was installed in the hospital. A very slow ride up or down today, the original 1926 Otis Elevator still works in the hotel. In 1935, a maintenance man was found dead, pinned beneath the Otis elevator. His spirit is one of many who are rumored to continue to occupy the building. There are no known exact numbers of hospital deaths during the years the building was a hospital, but one estimated number is as many as 9,000 people – on average more than one death per day.

I spent a weekend in Jerome ten years ago – staying at both the Hotel Connor and my second night at the Jerome Grand. Hotel Connor was very historic and fun but to share a possible ghostly experience, I’ll tell about my second night. I had spent the day checking out the area and other nearby ghost towns and historical areas and came to the hotel and walked around before going to my room. I sat in bed, going over maps and papers for the next day before I went to bed. It was a typical, hot summer day in Arizona and I had the overhead ceiling fan on. I turned it on with a switch on the wall next to the light switch. There was also a small cord attached to the fan I could pull on to turn it on or off. I went and got ready for bed in the bathroom a bit later and returned to lie down in bed. With the small television on in the background, I noticed I was kind of hot. I looked up and noticed the fan had been turned off. I didn’t remember turning it off so I was a little confused, stood up and walked over to the switch. The switch was still in the ‘on’ position. I flipped it anyway off and on but nothing happened. I kept it in the on position and stood on the bed to reach up and pull the cord on the fan itself and it started again. I’m not an electrician by any means, but I find it curious as to how that could have happened and if something actually did pull the cord to turn the fan off.

I started to think about what the room that I stayed in used to be or how many people had died there. One thing I do know, I slept great that night and woke up feeling refreshed. It’s not the most exciting tale of a ghost story or sighting, but the small things make you wonder if you are indeed alone or if there is something there. I have had a couple of other strange occurrences that make me think that something else might be out there, such as one in the ghost town of Winfield, Colorado’s cemetery and another in an old mine in the middle of nowhere in Arizona. More tales to be told…